"The largest library in disorder is not so useful as a smaller but orderly one; in the same way the greatest amount of knowledge, if it has not been worked out in one’s own mind, is of less value than a much smaller amount that has been fully considered."
— Schopenhauer, Arthur (1788-1860)
Place of Publication
Berlin
Publisher
Hayn
Date
1851
Metaphor
"The largest library in disorder is not so useful as a smaller but orderly one; in the same way the greatest amount of knowledge, if it has not been worked out in one’s own mind, is of less value than a much smaller amount that has been fully considered."
Metaphor in Context
The largest library in disorder is not so useful as a smaller but orderly one; in the same way the greatest amount of knowledge, if it has not been worked out in one’s own mind, is of less value than a much smaller amount that has been fully considered. For it is only when a man combines what he knows from all sides, and compares one truth with another, that he completely realises his own knowledge and gets it into his power. A man can only think over what he knows, therefore he should learn something; but a man only knows what he has pondered.
Categories
Provenance
Reading
Citation
Schopenhauer, Arthur. Essays of Schopenhauer [electronic resource]. Trans. Mrs. Rudolf Dircks . Adelaide: The University of Adelaide, 2004. <Link to eBooks@Adelaide>
Date of Entry
11/20/2009
